NEW BRUNSWICK - Michael Doce bragged about his ties to the mafia to trick a gangster-wannabe into killing an Edison man he didn't like, prosecutors allege.

Doce's attorney described a man from Woodbridge that always wanted to be the center of attention who would tell tall tales of organized crime scores and ways to plan a hit to impress his friend but never imagined that friend would brutally murder the 28-year-old with a pickaxe.

A jury of 10 women and six men will decide over the next several weeks in Middlesex County Superior Court what the now-28-year-old's role was, if any, in the 2011 death of Kelvin Dumo, whose body was found at a Sayreville site on Jernee Mill Road.

Middlesex County Assistant Prosecutor's Kristen Pridgen told the jury Thursday morning that Doce had manipulated Medaglia into believing he had ties to the organized crime and convinced the now-convicted murderer that Dumo was a "snitch," working with law enforcement.

"You can but you have to go alone," Pridgen said reading from Doce's text messages. "In the back is a river and my dad's aght [sic] is in the water. Go to the dock. We always have rope and concrete blocks there. Tie him and put him in the water behind the back of the boat. The crabs will eat him in two days. Put the car in drive into the river too..."

An excerpt of a text message sent by Michael Doce to Daniel Medaglia presented by the prosecution in their opening statement to the jury. Michael Doce of Colonia stands trial for murder and conspiracy to commit murder in the slaying of Kelvin Dumo, who was bludgeoned to death in November 2011 on the property of Viking Terminal Marine in New Brunswick on Thursday, May 4, 2017. Authorities stated in 2011 that Doce encouraged Daniel Medaglia to kill Dumo. (Andrew Miller | For NJ Advance Media)Andrew Miller

Doce's defense attorney Eric Breslin dismissed the state's accusations, telling the jury in Middlesex County during his opening statement that his client was simply playing around and the exchange was only a snapshot of texts between the two out of hundreds over a year span.

"It was a game, an escape from reality," Breslin said. "They were involved in a fictional world of organized crime. These things were not real, just a long running joke -- albeit a cruel one. No one was supposed to get hurt ever."

Breslin said none of the texts detailed how the actual murder went down, and when Medaglia told Doce, who, at the time, was watching a movie with his parents in Colonia, he didn't believe his friend about his criminal actions on the night Nov. 6, 2011.

After hearing news reports of the murder, Doce went to the Sayreville Police Department, where he gave a four-hour statement without a lawyer and was let go, according to Breslin.

"Does that sound like someone who is guilty?" he said.

Pridgen said Doce reaction was to tell Medaglia to make sure all their text messages were deleted.

Medaglia and Dumo were childhood friends but grew apart in their late-20s.

Pridgen said that was due to Doce's influence, who didn't like Dumo.

The two only got close again two weeks before the murder as part of the alleged plot hatched by Doce, according to Pridgen.

"Dumo was a problem that Doce wanted Medaglia to fix," said Pridgen. The prosecutor said Doce allegedly threatened Medaglia if he didn't carry out the plan.

Medaglia was given 30 years in prison as part of the plea deal struck with the prosecutor's office, which requires him to testify against Doce in the case.

Doce's defense team argued he had no reason to hurt Dumo.

Breslin attacked the credibility of the state's primary witness. The attorney described Medaglia as an addict and a person with a life constantly in crisis, who relentlessly tried to pull Doce into his world.

Doce used the made-up stories of organized crime, some of which he borrowed from television shows and mafia movies, such as "Goodfellas," as a way to rebuff Medaglia when he wouldn't leave him alone, Breslin said.

"My client is a BS artist," Breslin said. "Was he foolish? I'll give you that, very foolish. Was he immature? Yes. Was he a murderer? No."

Pridgen said these stories were part of Doce's "sophisticated manipulation" of Medaglia, who sought acceptance into the world of organized crime in New Jersey.

"He, [Doce], controlled every aspect of this murder even though he was 15 miles away," Pridgen said.

Assistant Prosecutor Vincent Vitale called the owner of the Viking Terminal Marine site as the first witness Thursday in the trial, which is expected to last at least five weeks.

Another man in the case, Ryan Morrell, 34 of Dunellen, pleaded guilty in 2014 to a charge of hindering Medaglia's apprehension by driving him from the crime scene in Sayreville.